


Winter's Speed

by dandelionsandsunshine



Series: Patchwork [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Flying, Head Boy James Potter, Head Girl Lily Evans Potter, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), jily, jily angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29904117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dandelionsandsunshine/pseuds/dandelionsandsunshine
Summary: James is hurt and Lily finds out it's because of her. An argument ensues.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: Patchwork [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198742
Kudos: 13





	Winter's Speed

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: “The blood’s just from a nosebleed; don’t worry about it.”

Lily slowed to a stop in front of the almost-empty Quidditch field.

"James!"

She doubted he could hear her shouts. He was on his broom high up in the air, flying back and forth so fast that she could barely track him with her eyes.

" _James!_ " Lily called again, louder this time.

The distant figure stopped flying at the speed of light for a moment, looking down at where Lily stood in the middle of the field, bundled up in coats and scarves to fight off the bone-biting Hogwarts winter.

Lily shivered as she waited for him to fly back down and dismount his broom.

"Potter! What in Merlin are you doing out here?" She asked, frowning, as he walked up to her.

He ran a hand (that didn't have a glove on, Lily noted) through his messy hair and offered her a bright smile.

"Just practicing speed. I have brilliant reflexes but apparently Farley beat my time. It's a disgrace, really."

Lily scowled up at him (yes, up— he was a good half-foot taller than her). "And somehow you thought that it was a good idea to fly in below-freezing weather without gloves or a jacket?"

James at least had the good sense to look sheepish as he shrugged.

Lily observed that he was only wearing a Gryffindor jumper. House pride was fine, but it wouldn't keep the cold away.

And no, she _didn't_ stare when his jumper lifted a little bit from the shrugging motion to reveal a few inches of his stomach. She was just admiring the knitwork of the jumper, that was all.

James turned away, facing right. "I s'pose I could have taken a scarf, but no need to be worrying about me, Evans. Anyway, I'll just be on my—"

"James Potter, _what in Merlin_ happened to your face?"

James' hand automatically flew up to cover his face and, to Lily's surprise, he looked alarmed.

Lily took a step closer to him and pulled down his hands from his face to reveal a _very_ nasty looking reddish rash blossoming on his left cheek that went all the way down to his neck, and an open gash above his cheekbone.

She suddenly realized that his hands were still in hers, and she dropped them quickly.

"It's nothing, really," James said hastily, turning away from her immediately. "Got a little knocked up at Quidditch practice earlier. The blood's just from a nosebleed; don't worry about it."

Lily didn't believe that for a second. Did he take her for a simpleton? Sure, bludgers could do some damage, but even she, who was apathetic to Quidditch, knew that this was _certainly_ not from the sport. A bludger to the head didn't cause a swelling rash and a nosebleed certainly didn't cause a gash on the cheek. Plus, the tightness in his eyes and the firm set in his jaw pretty much gave it away.

"Spare me the flowery tales, Potter. What _really_ happened?"

The moment she saw his guilty look she knew it was going to be bad.

"Oh, no..." Lily breathed, realizing what must have happened. "This was because of Rosier and Avery, wasn't it?"

Something in her tone must have set him off, because James straightened up, his eyes ablaze.

"They deserved it! _Merlin_ , Lily, after what they said to you, it took all my self-control not to hex them into oblivion!"

Lily glared at him, trying to ignore the way her name on his lips made her stomach flip. "How many bloody times do I have to tell you that you don't need to protect me? I'm perfectly capable of holding my own and _I_ decided that those idiots weren't worth any more of my time. Why do you have to keep going and meddling into what's none of your bloody business just to prove that you're some sort of hero? You've got enough problems to deal with on your own! Why don't you start with that arrogance of yours?"

Lily realized what she was saying too late as she watched her words hit James like a hex. He flinched, drawing back like he had been slapped.

"Shit," Lily whispered. "James, I—"

"No, I get it," He said coldly. "Wouldn't want arrogant Potter to get beaten up on your behalf. He must have been doing it for laughs anyway."

Lily's hands were trembling as she took another step forward. "No, that's not what I meant, I just—"

"Just what?" James asked angrily, already turning away from her. "Just forgot that I've apologized so many bloody times for _everything_ and yet you continue to hold them over my head?"

Lily took a shaky breath, stepping forward again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

James' shoulders slumped and he exhaled loudly. "I know."

Lily took him not stalking away in fury as a good sign and took one of James' hands in hers, squeezing it gently. "James, I— I'm really sorry. I just said that because I was angry."

James gave her a tired glance but squeezed her hand back.

"You're not the person you were last year, and neither am I. It wasn't fair to say that after you've changed so much. I mean, James-of-last-year would have probably cracked a suggestive joke by now, right?" Lily said weakly, attempting to break the uncomfortable air that had surrounded them.

James offered her a thin smile. "I can't argue with that."

Lily sighed in relief and tried to steady herself, ignoring the scent of wood and grass that she was inhaling.

_You're standing much too close to him to be having a serious conversation,_ Reasonable Lily said in her head.

_Shut up,_ her body said in response.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Reasonable Lily won over, making her take a step back.

She didn't remove her hand from his, though.

"I didn't even do anything rash, Lily, I swear! Moony and I had just been taking a walk around the castle to brighten him up after the full moon a couple nights ago and we ran into Avery, the Rosiers, and Snape."

Lily didn't miss the way James studied her carefully when he said the last name. She tried not to betray anything on her face, but her stomach was already boiling.

"I tried to backtrack— I'm rash but not so rash that I would put _Moony_ near those bloody Slytherins— but they noticed us before we could leave. If it was just me they might have let me go with some taunting words, but Moony was there."

James swallowed, his throat bobbing for a minute, and continued.

"They said some... nasty things about you. Obviously I reacted by threatening to hex the hell out of them, but I wasn't actually going to _do_ it. They must not have realized it though, because Snape was the one who sent a jinx flying at me and then it was a free-for-all.

"It was four against two and I was shielding Moony, so I bore most of the brunt of their curses. Moony managed to get around me, thank Merlin, and he shot a few stunning spells and yanked me out of there before I could murder them. Or be murdered," James said dryly, his jaw ticking.

Before she could realize what she was doing Lily took a step towards James and threw her arms around him, buying her face in his chest and inhaling the scent of the jumper.

Reasonable Lily had conveniently disappeared.

James was surprised for a moment before wrapping his arms around her back in response, tucking his chin onto her head.

"Thank you," Lily mumbled into him.

"What was that?" James asked teasingly. "I didn't quite catch what you said. Would you mind repeating it?"

Lily flushed and looked up at him, glaring. "I said _thank you_."

James smiled widely at her.

"Anything for you, Evans."


End file.
